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PA Voters Approve Two Amendments To Limit Governor’s Emergency Powers

Pennsylvania voters have approved a pair of amendments to the state’s constitution that limit the governor’s power during a disaster declaration. 

According to unofficial returns from the Department of State, 53% voted “yes” to ballot questions 1 and 2 on the primary ballot, while 46% voted “no.”

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday morning that both proposed amendments passed. 

The first ballot question that was approved to be a constitutional amendment would allow a majority of lawmakers in the state to terminate a disaster declaration at any time. According to Spotlight PA, Pennsylvania’s current law only allows the governor to end a disaster declaration or two-thirds of the state legislature can overturn a governor’s veto.

The second ballot question that was approved to be a constitutional amendment limits a disaster declaration to be 21 days. Spotlight PA reports that currently a disaster declaration lasts 90 days and “can be renewed as many times as deemed necessary by the governor.”  

Pennsylvania Republicans and conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity led the push to promote voters to support both proposed constitutional amendments, while Gov. Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Democrats urged voters to vote “no” on both ballot questions. 

Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas issued a statement on Wednesday morning touting the passage of Amendments 1 and 2 and called it a response to “Gov. Tom Wolf’s dictatorship.”

“For too long, Pennsylvanians have suffered through the governor’s job-killing mandates and ever-changing rules,” said Tabas. “The passage of Amendments 1 and 2 sends a clear message – voters do not want the Governor’s office to wield limitless, unchecked power.”

Spotlight PA reports that the passage of both proposed amendments is “widely seen as a referendum on the Wolf administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.” 

According to City & State PA, “conservative organizations drastically outspent” progressives in the lead up to the vote on both ballot questions.

17 Responses

  1. Wolfe plain and simple overstepped his bounds and the people didn’t like that. When all is said and done the South wins in lockdown versus citizen rights. Ha even the blessed Fauchi was full of it regarding store-bought masks and his unmasked emails prove it. The man is a fraud! And like all political frauds he was caught!

  2. Tabas is a do nothing chairman who is afraid of his own shadow, cares nothing about advancing the interests of the R party.

  3. So if the rightwing nuts attack the PA Capitol and Gov. Wolf declares an emergency and calls out the National Guard to defend democracy, the GOP legislature can immediately nullify the emergency declaration to keep the “tourists” free from lawful govt action. Are you feeling safer already, dumbass PA voters?

  4. There were 4 questions on the ballot. What happened to the other 2?

  5. No ballot uestions should appear on a primary ballot when few voters, esp unaffilated or 3rd party voters, go to the polls because they have no candidates to choose from. The Republicans knew that by placing these questions on the spring ballot. All ballot questions should appear on the general election ballot

    1. Yea. People really should not be expected to do any research into their elections and who they are voting for.

      When are people going to learn that we should all be catering to the dumbest and laziest, reducing the importance of our democratic Republic to be guided by the most uninformed. Not the people who read and come to the polls prepared!

    2. I am a republican and agree 100% that ballot questions should only appear on the November ballot. Bucks County turnout was roughly 26% of registered voters. I’m sure the total commonwealth was similar so these results mean roughly 14% of the electorate approved.

  6. Translation:

    Dumb White people keep shooting themselves in the foot by voting Republican.

    1. Translation: “Dumb White people”. This is a, sadly, typical racist post by a modern day Democrat. Democrats have a long history of ugly racism from their days in the Deep South. That continues today as they normalize anti-white racism. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was just open about her racism and being a racist yesterday. New_Liberal_Lion is also a racist. Plain and simple.

      1. I forgot who said when referring to African countries, “We don’t want people from shithole countries. I like people from Norway.” Anyone remember who said that?? I believe this came from the republican self- Proclaimed king of the GOP.

  7. The truth is Gov Wolf did go too far, but it was uncharted territory with a pandemic. Now the Republicans in the legislature also went too far. Does anyone really believe that the Pennsylvania Legislature, that can never agree on anything in a short time period can be trusted to deal with a statewide disaster or public health crisis? In the future Rome will burn while the political hacks in the Capitol argue.

    1. Yes, they are much better than Tyrant Wolf.

      The thing is this just makes it so it can’t go on forever, and it remains limited as an EMERGENCY should be.

    2. If the Legislature “can never agree on anything” how could it pass a bill ending an emergency declaration?

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